On June 9, 2022, PACC president Sharon Polsky MAPP spoke before the House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics. She was invited to provide expert testimony in relation to the Committee's study of the use of facial recognition and other digital technologies by police in Canada. Ms Polsky's opening remarks were highlights of a detailed brief … [Read more...] about PACC president appears before Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics
News & Views
3rd Review of the Treasury Board Directive on Automated Decision-Making
The rapid pace of digital transformation in the federal government has made questions around the purpose and scope of automation increasingly relevant. The 3rd review of the Treasury Board Directive on Automated Decision-Making takes stock of the current state of the policy instrument and identifies several risks and challenges to the federal government’s commitment to … [Read more...] about 3rd Review of the Treasury Board Directive on Automated Decision-Making
Personal Digital Devices at the Border
A great deal of consternation and confusion recently arose thanks to the language in a new piece of legislation introduced in the Senate on 29 March 2022. Bill S-7, which amends s. 99(1)(a) of the Customs Act, is intended to remedy a deficiency in that legislation which, until now, has had no specific criteria for searching personal digital devices. Indeed, the Customs … [Read more...] about Personal Digital Devices at the Border
Privacy regulators call for legal framework limiting police use of facial recognition technology
The heads of Canada’s privacy protection authorities today issued a joint statement recommending legislators develop a legal framework that establishes clearly and explicitly the circumstances in which police use of facial recognition may be acceptable. Facial recognition has emerged as a tool of significant interest for police agencies in Canada. Used responsibly and in the … [Read more...] about Privacy regulators call for legal framework limiting police use of facial recognition technology
Elections: Political parties gathering and using information about voters
With Ontario elections taking place on June 2, some voters may question how provincial political parties use personal information. They may also wonder what federal parties have done with data that voters gave canvassers in the national election, held in September of 2021. In Ontario, the Privacy Commissioner has no jurisdiction over provincial political parties' … [Read more...] about Elections: Political parties gathering and using information about voters
Encryption HRIA
Signaling a major shift in the way Meta approaches users' privacy, the company recently announced plans to make all of its messaging services — WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram DMs — end-to-end encrypted (E2EE). As part of its initiative, Meta commissioned a human rights impact assessment (HRIA), which concluded that, "Meta’s planned expansion of strong … [Read more...] about Encryption HRIA
